How often do you REALLY wash your masks?

[billlaurie]

I know I will probably be flamed, but I do not wash my masks after each use. I rarely use them because I only go out about once or twice a week and then only wear them while in the store, doctors office, etc. I just leave it in my car and figure any germs will be dead by the next time. I wash them like every other week. I recognize that some people may be wearing their masks frequently and for prolonged periods but I am not in that category. What are you doing?

 

[Brett Wyman]

I use one per day.

 

[okeydokey]

They are a one day thing for us. If we go to the store or the office, we may go to the store AND the office in one day in order to cut down on trips outside the house, and I wear the same mask on both outings in the same day, but they are then washed after ONE day's use.

 

[tvguy]

Our cloth masks have a filter in them, in reality, a paper towel. That gets changed everyday. The mask gets washed ever other week.

 

[MamaLema]

I use per day. My workplace is mandatory mask but they’re cheap to provide. They gave us 2 very bad quality masks and said they won’t provide anything else. If they provided I would change more often.

 

[georgina]

I know I will probably be flamed, but I do not wash my masks after each use. I rarely use them because I only go out about once or twice a week and then only wear them while in the store, doctors office, etc. I just leave it in my car and figure any germs will be dead by the next time. I wash them like every other week. I recognize that some people may be wearing their masks frequently and for prolonged periods but I am not in that category. What are you doing?

I'm more like you. If I wear a mask for 15 minutes to go into a store, I leave it in my car for next time. There have been a few times I have worn one for several hours at a time, I definitely wash it after that.

 

[Southernmiss]

I know I will probably be flamed, but I do not wash my masks after each use. I rarely use them because I only go out about once or twice a week and then only wear them while in the store, doctors office, etc. I just leave it in my car and figure any germs will be dead by the next time. I wash them like every other week. I recognize that some people may be wearing their masks frequently and for prolonged periods but I am not in that category. What are you doing?

I wash masks about twice a week.

I wear a different one off and on each day in my office. I am in the office by myself and wear one only when I need to speak to my boss or others face to face.

I also think that leaving them in the heat of the car probably kills some germs on the mask, too. Where I am the temperatures are in the 90s and the car sits in a parking lot in the sun all day.

 

[mom2rtk]

After each outing. But then I make them and have a nice supply now.

 

[DoryGirl1963]

Every night - have to wear a mask all day every day at work.

 

[kdonnel]

Never.

I have also been wearing the same disposable mask for weeks. Used it on the plane ride home and whenever I drive that same car and need a mask to go into where I am going.

 

[Searc]

I'm more like you. If I wear a mask for 15 minutes to go into a store, I leave it in my car for next time. There have been a few times I have worn one for several hours at a time, I definitely wash it after that.

I do the same. Handwash them, hang up and they're dry in less than an hour

 

[Donaldswife]

Once a week for the cloth, I generally only use them for 15-20 minutes a few times a week to run into a store or run an errand. I keep disposables on hand in case I cough or sneeze into my cloth one, or it gets wet or sweaty. I only use the disposables one day.

 

[hopemax]

I wash masks when I do the normal laundry. So once every 7-10 days. Delicate cycle, laid out to dry. We will reuse masks if we are only running out for a quick errand, like running into a restaurant for takeout. If we need to wear our masks for longer, like an afternoon of Costco+Target+Grocery Store, those go to the dirty pile when we get home.

 

[DisneyJamieCA]

After every use. But we have enough that the dirty ones go in a bag when we come in and when I get around to washing them (or we’re running low) I’ll wash them all.

 

[MrsCobraBubbles]

after every time I wear one.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

What are you doing?

I wash our cloth masks every time we wear them. For the most part, we only go out every other week to do our fresh food shopping. We stop at both Sam's Club and Von's (or other grocery store), meaning we'll have our mask on for a couple of hours at least. Wearing the mask makes my nose run, so it's icky for me to put on a mask that I've worn any length of time without washing it. Even if it is MY germs.

For quick trips (like when I wore a mask just to walk into and out of dentist office), I wear a paper disposable, and hang it in a tree in our backyard for a couple of days before wearing it again, but just for short wear times. And only use it twice.

 

[Christine]

My husband washes his daily. He works in the trades and wears about 3-4 masks per day during his workday. Brings them home, washes them.

For me, I might wear it to the grocery store, then I hang it in my car. If I go somewhere else, I'll wear it again. If "wear time" gets up to a total of a few hours, it gets washed.

 

[Meriweather]

After every use.
if I go two places in one day, I change masks.
they all go into the laundry once a week. I usually have 3-4 to wash

 

[anniemae]

daily

 

[kaytieeldr]

Every couple of weeks. If I run out of masks, I switch to disposables.